I will go to an HOA Condominium Board meeting to talk about how this HOA can reduce its residential water use. I offered my service for free. If they take notes or visit this blog, it will guide them through this nightmare. I have no idea how many parts this topic will have, “How to reduce water use in a condominium HOA”. HOA Water Bill This HOA is concerned about their water bill. In most cases their landscape water use in Las Vegas is about 70% of their total water use. The remainder represents interior use. Some condominiums or townhomes within an HOA have their domestic water use metered and some do not. I would guess (without talking to them) landscape water use represents the highest cost for the HOA on its monthly bills. One thing we know for sure, the cost of water ain’t goin’ down. I believe Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) once remarked, “Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting.”  First, estimate how much water you are using. Yes, it is an estimate. 1. Gather your water bills for the past 12 months and plot this water use, month by month, for the entire year. This represents your total water use (in-house and landscape) and not your landscape water use alone. Your total water use should follow a “bell-shaped” curve with the lowest amounts used during the winter and the highest during the summer. Annual plant water use curve for Las Vegas for averaged three years. Your total water use should follow the same pattern. Notice the bars follow a “bell-shape” from lowest water use values (months 1 and 12) during mid-winter to its highest water use values (months 6 and 7) during mid-summer. Separate out interior water use from landscape water use. Landscape water use represents about 70% of total water use. Younger families typical use more interior water than older families. Measure your irrigated landscaped areas: 2. Measure the square footage of the landscape you are watering. It does not have to be exact but the more exact your measurements, the more exact is your estimate. Actual measurements can be done (most accurate) but these measurements can be taken from an “as built” blueprint or site plan of the landscape or from satellite images (Google Maps). But the measurements should be verified with ground measurements. It is very important that ALL the areas represented by the water bill(s) are included and these are verified. Make sure any landscape plans you use are accurate. Just because it has a scale on it does not mean it is accurate. If a scale is present it must be verified with actual measurements on the ground, called “ground truthing”. In some cases it is more accurate to make the landscape measurements with a “wheel” or tape measure. https://whitefishpilot.com/news/2020/apr/22/planned-condos-get-thumbs-up-from-board-9/ Most landscape plans are drawn to a scale of 1:10, which means that 10 feet on the ground equals 1 inch on paper. For example, a 100-foot driveway would be 10 inches on paper.  Consider any pools to be part of the landscape area. Pool water evaporation is slightly more than the same area covered in grass unless the pool is covered. Water features are tricky. Submeter them if you think it is important to consider. Determine which what category of landscape water use you are in: 3. Use this conversion for changing gallons into cubic feet of water or vice versa.      One cubic foot of water = 7.48 gallons      One gallon of water = 0.1337 cubic foot Landscaped water use categories      0 – 2 feet of water covering the irrigated landscaped area (you are doing a great job!)      3 – 4 feet of water covering the irrigated landscaped area (marginally acceptable)      5 – 6 feet of water covering the irrigated landscaped area (you can do better!) Are you satisfied with your landscaped water use category? Want to save water? If you want to save water, go to Part 2.

A new measure passed by Nevada state legislators will make the Las Vegas metro area the first region in the U.S. to permanently ban “non-functional” grass — purely ornamental lawns common to office parks, street medians, and housing developments that require irrigation, but provide no recreational or environmental benefits. – Stormwater Report This narrow strip of living grass or turfgrass, besides being “nonfunctional”, is difficult to water, mow and maintain. It has no justification in any irrigated landscape. What is Nonfunctional Grass? Sometimes turfgrass is easy to identify as “nonfunctional”, eg eye candy, strictly ornamental and visual. it provides no benefit outside of visual appeal. Sometimes grass is considered functional. Golf courses and athletic fields are considered “essential” because they provide a safe place to play or they return tax revenues to the municipality. Sports fields covered in grass (at least the “functional” part) is considered essential since it provides a safe place to play “rough and tumble” sports like American football, soccer, baseball, La Crosse, field hockey and the like. It might argued that “band practice” on a similar grass covered field does not qualify. Sometimes “wall to wall” grass is hard to justify in the desert. The “functional” grass can be identified and the “nonfunctional” grass removed and replaced with “desert landscaping”. This Las Vegas golf course looks much different now than it did when this picture was taken over 20 years ago. What caused the change? Primarily cost or budget. A golf course or athletic field may have both functional and nonfunctional grass in its area of play. Twenty years ago the cost of watering an 18-hole golf course (small 18 hole is about 120 acres) was about $1 million dollars per year. Elimination of “nonfunctional turfgrass”, or lawn grass used only for beautification, was also one of the seven principles of in xeriscape many years ago. How to keep your lawn in Nevada? Justify it.

 Queen palm is not the best choice when growing palms in the desert. Because of their strong and thick petioles the so-called “fan palms” are probably the best choice. But now that you have it, how do you keep it looking its best?

 The simple answer is no. Most plants dont grow that way. They grow from their growing points or terminal buds. This palm was blown over during a hurricane in the Philippines and continued growing from its tips but continued to lean.